Third set of bones, presumably human, found in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Sad discovery in one of the most photogenic places in NYC

September 3, 2024 Mary Frost

A third set of bone fragments, presumably human, were found among the rocks near Jane’s Carousel on Saturday, Aug. 31. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

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BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK — More bone fragments, presumably human, were found along the shore in Brooklyn Bridge Park on Saturday, Aug. 31 — the third time in the past two weeks that bones were found along the rocks near Jane’s Carousel.

Police said they received a 911 call around 7 p.m. that “possible human remains” had been found on the shoreline in the vicinity of 10 Dock Street.

A woman, cigarette in hand, stands near the rocks where multiple human bones have been found in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

Bystanders posted numerous videos on the Citizen app showing a heavy police presence in the park Saturday evening, with yellow caution tape blocking off an area adjacent to the carousel and officers clambering on the rocks next to the pier. One officer can be seen putting something into a red biohazard bag as a large crowd watched from behind the caution tape.

According to PIX11, the bones discovered Saturday were first spotted by a woman who was intentionally looking for them after hearing about the two previous discoveries. The outlet reported that the bones resembled a fragment of a rib cage.

The rocks near Jane’s Carousel are a favorite place for visitors to pose for photo ops. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

A femur and a couple of smaller bones were found just after midnight Wednesday, Aug. 18, also near the carousel. And on the morning of Monday, Aug. 16, police found a skull and bones in the same area, the Eagle reported.

These two batches of bones appeared to be part of the same body, ABC7news said, though this has not been officially confirmed.

The East River’s strong currents change direction between flood and ebb tides about four times each day, according to the U.S. Energy Department. This current, along with wash from passing vessels, constantly pushes debris to the shore. The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy regularly schedules volunteer cleanups to clear the junk that washes onto its beaches, marshes and rocks.

Crowds of visitors enjoyed the spectacular views on Monday, Sept. 2. More than five million people visit Brooklyn Bridge Park a year, according to the park’s Conservancy. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

More than five million people a year visit the park, according to the Conservancy, which oversees hundreds of recreational, cultural, volunteer and environmental education programs. The park’s stunning views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, the East River and the Manhattan skyline are famous worldwide.

On Labor Day, the area was packed with thousands of strolling visitors enjoying the sun and taking photos — and the juxtaposition couldn’t have been more stark.

“They found bones right here?” one surprised woman asked the Brooklyn Eagle, pointing to the rocks where she had just posed for a photo. She said she was a member of a group visiting from New Jersey.

Tourists posed for photos in Brooklyn Bridge Park on Monday, just a few yards away from where human bones have been washing up. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

Her friend Nimmi, also from New Jersey, said she had heard about the discovery on the news.

“It’s very sad,” she told the Eagle. “People come to visit and enjoy the park. It’s such a nice day, and then you hear that something sad happened — to what person we do not know.”

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner is investigating the remains. The Brooklyn Eagle reached out to OCME for information about the age, sex or identity of the bones but did not hear back by press time.